Addressing President Bio, the German Foreign Minister said he is excited about visiting Sierra Leone for the first time, and is also very interested in the development process in the country. He stated that as a member of the United Nations Security Council, Germany is interested in looking at how conflicts could be prevented and solved, with Sierra Leone serving as an example.

He noted that the UN must focus on those issues because of the increasing rate of sexual violence, including the use of rape as a weapon of war.

President Bio told the German Foreign Minister that Sierra Leone is enjoying a very good relationship with Germany, adding that he is now focusing on strengthening that relationship and widening the level of cooperation between the two countries.

He added that his government is working on a comprehensive National Development Plan as a means of moving a lot of people out of poverty. “We have placed premium on human capital development in this country. We have laid emphasis on diversifying our economy, not just being dependent on diamonds and gold but also on agriculture, tourism and other areas as multiple revenue base.”

President Bio went on to inform the German Foreign Minister that “we have handled the economy reasonably well and we have been able to identify and generate more revenue than it has been done in the past.” He added that with that “we have been able to support some of the basic activities of the government.”